Some of the Trees in Fall. 11.7.2020

This is the Dawn Redwood now.  The leaves take on a cinnamon color - not the brilliant red of some maples or yellow of ginkgos.  This tree grew a few feet this year.  It's about doubled in height and volume since I planted it 3 or 4 years ago..

The four chestnut trees.  They grew quickly, about 3 or 4 feet a year.  There should be a good chestnut crop in the next few years.  This year there were a couple of dozen.

A volunteer Japanese maple.  This was a volunteer that I dug up and replanted, twice.  It was worth it.  The fall colors are brilliant.

 

Fall Chores. Leaf Harvest. Mulch. Perennial Border. Tree Progress Report. 11.8.14

Tree Row.  11.8.14

Tree Row.  11.8.14

 Leaves are collected from the big maple.  It took some effort.  It's our tree, but near the neighbor yard.  If I don't get them, they collect and burn.   I don't want to argue.  So I collected when I could.  This was a lot of leaves, none the less. 

Instead of a large leaf pile for compost, I piled them around trees and shrubs for mulch.  Seedlings of weeds were beginning to grow in the grass clipping mulch I applied early summer, now wet.  The leaves will kill those weeds and add more nutrients to soil.  The worms will like them.  Once I mow, it will look neat.

Tree row - most look good, becoming established nicely.  Linden, laburnum, Crimson maple, Mountain Ash, all excellent growth.

Front Perennial Border, West  11.8.18

Front Perennial Border, East.  11.8.18

The only tree in this row that didn't make it was Kousa Dogwood.  My fault for not being aggressive about root pruning when I planted it.  Now replaced by Japanese maple, a volunteer from Vancouver yard, has a lot or promise and surprisingly large in its 3rd year.  Will need some formative pruning winter, no problem.  That one has nice green stems and reddish fall leaf color, weeping branches.  Nice.

Front border, the big western end is done.  Added cedar chips on top of the pine needles.  The pine needles were too sparse, would have allowed weed seedlings.  I hope this is low maintenance for a long time. 

The eastern end hasn't been started.  I have to pace myself.  Want to today but it's 1:00 and a ton of homework to do. 

I love the fog in the fall mornings.  Peaceful, soothing, mellow.

Moving a Japanese maple. 10.18.14

Japanese Maple before moving.  10.18.14

This Japanese Maple started out as a volunteer seedling in the front border in Vancouver.  When I moved a big Camelia, this seedling came out with it.  I lost most of the roots.  I planted it in a container for a few months, then Ning planted it in his flower bed.

It grew too well there.  Now it's time to find a better place.  As it happens, a dogwood died, and the location needs a small to medium size tree.  If I am correct about the parentage of this maple, it should be in that range.  It seems to have a semi-weeping shape, which is nice.

I dug it out.  Nice root mass.  No winding or crossing roots.  That's a good aspect of growing it myself.  It is not subjected to tree nursery abuses.

I planted at the same depth as it was.  Since it's fall, this is a good time to plant.  It can grow some more roots before winter and again in early spring before the top starts growing again.

I read that it's not appropriate to top prune on transplanting, so I didn't.  I did remove a few wide ranging branches that were in the way.  Next Spring, it may need some corrective pruning due to closely crossing branches.  Mostly it's OK the way it is.

I like that this is a home - grown, own-root, seedling tree.  Not just because it's free, but because it feels more like it's my doing.

Japanese Maple Root Mass.  10.18.14

Transplanted Japanese Maple.  10.18.14